Valentine's Day Project Around The Corner-WWE Brings Holiday Greetings From Reed Students To Middle East
Valentineâs Day Project Around The Cornerâ
WWE Brings Holiday Greetings From Reed Students To Middle East
By Eliza Hallabeck
For the second year, students from Reed Intermediate School were highlighted in World Wrestling Entertainmentâs (WWE) program Tribute To The Troops, which includes a holiday TV special of the same name featuring wrestling matches, more entertainment, and the delivery of studentsâ letters from Reed to troops in Iraq.
Last year was the first year students at Reed wrote letters to be sent with WWE stars to the Middle East. This yearâs show aired Saturday, December 19, at 8 pm, and more than 300 students from Reed sent letters with WWE for its holiday special.
According to WWE, the Tribute To The Troops special features matches from Raw, SmackDown and ECW Superstarsâ live performance in the Middle East.
Some of the letters written to the servicemen can be found at www.wwe.com/shows/raw/tributetothetroops.
âThe tour went great,â said WWE Vice President of Corporate Communications and Newtown resident Gary Davis. He added the letters written by students at Reed were âvery well received.â
Reed Intermediate School teacher Kirsten Strobel participated with her students in this yearâs Tribute To The Troops program.
âWe have been fortunate enough to be âmatchedâ with the Black Lions, a Marine troop stationed in Paliwooda, Iraq. Lieutenant Colonel Timmerman responded to our letters by writing an informational letter about the troop and their duties,â said Ms Strobel by email earlier this week. âHe included photos of the buildings they have been busy keeping secure, as well as pictures of children in the town. Additionally, he responded to at least one question or comment in each of the studentsâ letters, which established and even greater connection for the students. He then posted the letters on the wall of the mess hall so that everyone on base could read them while standing in line waiting for âchow.ââ
Ms Strobel said since her studentsâ letters were sent they have already heard back from service men and women who have enjoyed the letters.
 âWhen teaching social studies, or any subject area for that matter, it is one thing to study a region of the world through books and technology,â said Ms Strobel. âIt is quite another to experience the region through those that live there. These generous men and women are making our study both current and real. We are forming relationships and making memories that go far beyond the miles that separate us.â
 Mr Davis said WWE expanded the Tribute To The Troops program this year, first by having more students participate, and by adding an interactive chatroom for WWE fans to send messages to the troops online.
âWeâre looking to further expand teachers in classrooms to take time year round to write to the troops,â said Mr Davis. He added helping to further Newtownâs St Valentineâs Day Project, which sends valentines to troops overseas, is something worth doing by WWE.
St Valentineâs Day Kickoff Around The Corner
âI am incredibly excited,â said St Valentineâs Day Chair Donna Monteleone Randle. âIn five years we went from 50 kids in one second grade class in one elementary school, and have blown it out across the district.â
Gearing up for the projectâs kickoff, scheduled for January 4 in Reed Intermediate Schoolâs cafetorium from 8:30 am until roughly 9:30 am, Ms Randle said everything has been coming together well.
Ms Randle said she was asked recently just how she finds enough members in the military for all of Newtownâs St Valentineâs Day Project participating students to write to. She said communication is a key component.
âQuit frankly,â said Ms Randle, âit is from the parents and other residents in town who know people. We just keep talking and asking.â
One Sandy Hook woman, according to Ms Randle, helped the project contact the womanâs brother-in-law with the USS Essex, which provided the project with 500 names for students to write to.
The project would not be possible without help from parents and other volunteers, like Laurie Borst, in charge of media and more, Michelle Tenenbaum, who heads a music CD project for the troops, and Hawleyville Post Master Mark Favale, who is the âkey coordinatorâ for shipping the letters to the troops.
CDs containing the vocal and instrumental talents of Newtown youth performing at various concerts will be included in the boxes with the letters to many units in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps this year. Items requested by the troops such as media (DVDs, CDs), menâs pajama bottoms, tooth brushes (supplied by local dentists Dr Joshua Baum, Dr Bryson Filbert and Dr Mark Renzi and Dental Associates), are being collected at Charter Communications, Sandy Hook Elementary School, Hawley Elementary School, Reed Intermediate School, Sandy Hook Hair Company, Newtown Municipal Center, and the Second Company Governors Horse Guard for the project this year, according to an announcement for the kickoff.
Once the kickoff event is held, students in each school this year will learn the dos and donâts of letter writing to a member in the armed forces.
Ms Randle said students are encouraged to write about things they enjoy, but told to leave out all personal information. The students are told to use their first name only, and have the option to leave their name off of the letter if they choose.
âThe only identifier is the teacher and the school,â said Ms Randle. If children choose to leave off their names from the letters they write, they will not receive a response from the military member who receives their letter.
Students also have the ability to opt-out of sending a letter through the project, Ms Randle said.
âEvery letter is totally proof-read,â said Ms Randle. She explained parent volunteers collect the written letters from the schools and read each letter for content.
âIt is not really for spelling,â Ms Randle continued. âIt is for content. It is to make sure a students does not include something like, âI live at 123 Main Street.â It is absolutely important.â
Other dos and donâts the students are informed of include not writing about politics and not asking the person they are corresponding to whether they have ever shot someone or seen a person shot.
âIt is meant to bring them cheer,â said Ms Randle. âIt is not supposed to upset anyone.â
Ms Borst, who oversees media relations for the project, said the letter writing portion of the project is completely voluntary. She added the project can be changed to incorporate a schoolâs needs. At some schools, according to Ms Borst, every student is writing and in others that is different.
âThis is a very organized event,â said Ms Borst. âSafety is very most on the mind of everyone of us.â
While the project supports the troops, Ms Borst said, it has no political agenda.
âThis is entirely in support of the troops, our sons and daughters, our sisters and brothers who are doing their duty to their country,â said Ms Borst.
Ms Randle said she is hoping all people who can attend the kickoff ceremony at Reed Intermediate on January 4 will attend. She also said she is still hopeful the project will spread to other school districts.
âThe more the better,â Ms Randle said. âMy philosophy is there are 365 days in a year, and it would be great if everyone took a holiday or more and wrote to members in the military. They deserve that and so much more.â
If parents wish to volunteer with the St Valentineâs Day Project effort, or have questions regarding the project, they can contact Ms Randle at ndrandle@charter.net or valentinesfortroopsnewtown@gmail.com.